Friday, February 13, 2015

Gotta Eat! Steak and Catfish

Driving around Oklahoma City you can't help but notice the abundance of BBQ joints and steak houses. From the Rib Crib to Saltgrass Steak to Rudy's BBQ, middle America likes their meat. While staying just outside the capital in Edmond, I couldn't help but notice the restaurant next to a gas station with a simple black and white sign for Steak and Catfish. It was off the highway surrounded by nothing but a closed for the season western themed amusement park. My buddy took me there for lunch and the parking lot was packed. Apparently this place was on Man VS Food when they visited OKC along with Cattleman's Cafe (tried going there on another trip, place was jammed!) and Sid's Diner. The Steak and Catfish Barn was real, just a working establishment with no frills but lots of character and very friendly service. One corner was devoted to John Wayne and westerns, another to Elvis, etc. The tables were lacquered with ads for local businesses and you had a booklet of trivia to entertain you.

It was a pretty concise menu with steak, sandwiches, salads and of course, catfish. All You Can Eat only set you back $14.99 and the standing record is 30 pieces. I opted for a strip steak lunch special and ordered some catfish filets on the side. I expected them to be big ol' honking pieces of heavily deep fried goodness but they were surprisingly bite size and had that dusty corn meal coating versus the bloated beer battered shell you might find at a fair. Hush puppies and fries were my sides of choice that day to complete the fried-fecta. My steak was nice and tender, the fish light and not too salty, fries could have been just a touch crispier but the hush puppies were crunchy and not greasy. The only thing that could have made my meal better was a side of spinach so I wouldn't feel so guilty. Again, the service was great, attentive, fast and kind which really goes a long way for me.

While I didn't overdose on steak or biscuits and gravy like I usually do on these trips, I did get to Wendy's, twice! The Las Vegas airport is great, there's slot machines and gambling in the terminal then the food court has a Wendy's right next to a Popeye's! My friend suggested I get both and create the world's greatest chicken sammich but I showed restraint and just went with a Classic Double burger and let me tell you, it was magnificent. I had heard about Wendy's remodeling locations to feel a bit more modern and upscale but had yet to visit one. That all changed on our way back from Austin outside Waco, Texas near Baylor University. The fake fire place was the first thing to catch your eye walking in and it was a surprisingly nice touch. Then they had one of those new Coke machines were you can get 100's of variations of fake tasting bubbly sweetness. It was time for a big lunch so here came the Pretzel Bun Bacon Burger, fries, chicken nuggets, a drink and a vanilla Frosty. Well done Dave Thomas and Ohio, well done. Except the one in my hometown that messed up my order...